Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 8.djvu/475

 9 s. vm. DEO. 7, 1901.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

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principal clerk and agent for commissariat supplies (Treasury Office) 1827-34 (Rider's 'Brit. Merlin'), and paymaster at the pay office for civil services 1835-48 ('Royal Calendar'). His younger brother Henry Sargent, baptized at Woollavington on 7 Nov., 1788, became a Winchester scholar in 1800, and entered the service of the East India Company in 1806 (Kirby). He was identical with Lieut.-General Henry Sargent, of the Madras army, who died atOxney Court, near Dover, 19 Nov., 1865 (Gentleman's Magazine, 1866, i. 146).

According to Hasted's 'Kent' (1778), i. 321, a John Sargent, Esq., was the owner (by purchase) of Halsted Place, Kent, at the date of that book. The Gentleman's Magazine re- cords (vol. Ixi. p. 878) the death on 21 Sept., 1791, at Tunbridge Wells, of John Sargent, Esq., of Halsted Place, Kent, promising "some further particulars," which apparently were never published. It also records (vol. Ixxii. p. 1156) the death of his widow in Great Ormond Street on 5 Dec., 1792. H. C.

" Moy CHARD," POLICE SPY (9 th S. viii. 340). Barrere, in his 'Argot and Slang,' s.v. ' Mouche 'detective, instances the Miicke, or spy of German cant. Miicke=fty. He had given derivations under 'Mouchard.'

ARTHUR MAYALL.

THE TURVIN COINERS (9 th S. viii. 258, 298, 350). In Lord Lytton's 'Night and Morning' coining is introduced (book iii. chaps, viii. and ix.). This is not, however, the story to which MR. PICKFORD alludes.

F. E. R. POLLARD-URQUHART.

Castle Pollard, Westraeath.

ANCIENT BRITISH CITIES (9 th S. viii. 359). At Llandudno, on one of the smaller hills round Great Orme Head, just over the sea, are (or were) the very perfect remains of an ancient British city. The top of the hill, called Shan Dinas (ancient fort), is surrounded by a cyclopean wall in very fair preservation, and within it are numerous circles of stone, the foundations of the cityan or wicker huts that were built on them. Among them is a perfectly balanced rocking stone, which the people call Cridd Tudno (St. Tudno's cradle) ; also a pillar stone, evidently an object of phallic worship. I was staying at Llandudno some years ago, and the ancient city was frequently visited by me. Last July I was there for a day with a friend. Not being able to visit the city, I endeavoured to uoint out its situation from the Esplanade, and sent him up the hill to see it ; but he did not find it, and from some quarrying work I could see

I am afraid the very interesting remains have been destroyed, for I asked some persons in the town about it. They knew the name Shan Dinas, but nothing about the remains. On the further side of the hiil were the ruins of a very small church, and about where the altar would be was a flat tombstone with a beautiful floriated cross on it, but no inscrip- tion. The church has since been rebuilt, and service is held in it.

FRANCIS ROBERT DAVIES. Hawthorn, Black Rock.

ALMANAC MEDALS (9 th S. viii. 344). I have one lettered " 1782 A Calendar." The centre in squares gives the months and days, and in three other spaces at sides and bottom the feasts and dates on which they began. The centre of the reverse is filled with the moon's phases for the twelve months, with the dates. Two of the side spaces give the terms and dates when each began. The third space has "King's Birthday, June 4, Acces. Oct. 25, Coro. Sept. 22, Pr. Wales Born Aug. 12. " The remaining side space contains " Queen's Birthday May 19, Gold. Num. 16, Epact 15, Dominical Lett. F." THOS. RATCLIFFE.

Worksop.

Yes, these are made now. I have seen them within the last couple of years, with an almanac on one side and an advertisement on the other. WALTER JERROLD.

Hampton-on-Thames.

These are still made. I carried one last year. It was made of aluminium, was about the size of half-a-crown, and cost one penny.

W. E. WILSON.

Hawick.

"CUSTICE" (9 th S. viii. 16, 94). The following appeared in the Devon and Exeter Gazette of 6 September :

" The description in the Gazette's " London Letter ' of the severe punishment inflicted on a schoolgirl has led a correspondent to write on the modes of correction used on the last generation of scholars in Berrynarbor and neighbouring parishes. He says : * The weapon called a " cutstick " (or should it be custick ?) was an oval piece of wood, about three inches in diameter, \vith a long handle attached. The punishment consisted of a series of slaps on the palms of the hands with this, and, to intensify the pain, one side was besprinkled with small iron nails, or " sprigs," raised about one-sixteenth of an inch i enabling the culprit to get what was known as either "figgy" or "plain." This was before the advent of the School Board system.' "

W. CURZON YEO.

Richmond, Surrey.

MARIAN HYMN (9 th S. viii. 343). I think that Dr. Lingard was the author of this hymn. It is in part a paraphrase of the